THIRD UTILITY FOR TESTING PROGRAMME

The US federal government has selected a utility in New York to take part in its wind turbine verification programme, while a 6 MW project in Texas funded under the same programme has been officially announced with Zond Systems Inc. The New York utility is the third power company chosen to take part in the programme.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) and the utilities' Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are selecting Niagara Mohawk Corp of Syracuse for the Utility Wind Turbine Verification Programme. The utility, which is testing two Kenetech Model 33M-VS turbines near the town of Denmark, will get $1.5 million for a 6 MW plant at Tug Hill in upstate New York, where the wind speeds are higher. It says the Kenetech project is entirely separate from this grant.

Meanwhile in Texas, Central and South West Corp announced in November it is selecting Zond, under the same programme, to build and supply turbines for a plant near Fort Davis in west Texas. DOE provided $2 million and EPRI $3 million for the project. The first turbine will be installed in April.

Green Mountain Power has also been selected for funding under the programme. Central Maine Power Co was in November replaced by Niagara Mohawk after it dropped out several months ago following internal financial troubles.